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I wanna go fast!
IC Time on Earth: Tue Aug 04 15:03:12 2030 Parking Lot You're inside the large parking lot which holds several cars and trucks within its confines. You look around carefully for your car and hope that you still have your ticket. Contents: James Bailey A-Team Van Thundertank James Bailey says, "This is Col. Bailey. Anyone interested in a little car tuning? It's all free of charge, courtesy of Privates Winston and Jeffries." James puts a little emphasis on 'Private', and there's the sound of a brief argument in the background. "We're in the parking lot outside of the old Autobot City." The parking lot seems quite crowded for after hours on a tuesday night. On the ground level, youngsters (many still in their teens) come and go, some milling around in clusters and others watching the various crowds around tricked out cars. Cars have their hoods open, many of them being revved for appreciative audiences. In one corner of this level there is even a small crowd of teenagers dancing next to a tiny, portable DJ station. The sounds of skidding tires, engines howling and other racing noises echo throughout the parking garage from other levels. James is standing next to a small car with EDC markings, haranging two EDC members while a small crowd watches in amusement. James himself is dressed in a motorcycle outfit, the colors matching a sleek, advanced looking bike parked at the end of a row of other foreign bikes. He seems to chewing out the junior troopers not for being in this straight-out-of-Tokyo-Drift scene, but for decorating their car with EDC emblems. Bugatti Veyron is heard pulling into the expansive parking lot outside of Autobot City. Even without the presense of Metroplex, this place still manages to draw people of all types, not just official personnel. The uber-sporty Autobot ride's engine purr is music to the ears of any gearhead. His headlights flash on twice as he rolls up to the EDC crowd. A soft revving to accentuate his attention drawing powers. James Bailey is in mid-tirade when he's interrupted by the sound of Penumbra's engine. "...and the least you could do is get those squad insingia RIGHT! What is that, some sort of BALLOON?! You two will be lucky if you EVER make Corporal again at the rate--" he cuts as it becomes hard to shout over the sound of the engine, and turns to face the sleek car. A crowd is quickly forming around this new arrival. The tuner scene at this garage consists mostly of small imports and budget sports cars. A foreign supercar is a rarity. And these days, so is the Autobot symbol. James, however, looks even more furious. "Oh great, now it's -AUTOBOT- emblems?" He peers more closely at the car, trying to look through the winshield. "Madison, is that you? This had better not be some kind of..." he trails off when he notices there is no driver. "Uh..." James calms down instantly, almost as if the whole outburst was a calculated tactic, then smirks slightly. "Sorry, my mistake. I'm Colonel Bailry from the EDC. You are...?" Jennifer skates, in, her feet working crossovers as she turns the corner. "Hey, stop flirting with the Bots - you know that's my call, right?" She grins as she pulls up with a slight slide. "So. Who ordered help with the fixings?" Jennifer takes off her Max Blades and puts them away, then puts some regular footwear on. Bugatti Veyron cuts his engine and the falling silence is just as beautiful as what it replaces. From inside the vehicle, a jovial drawling voice replies, "Folks call me Penumbra. And I'm never late for dinner." The Autobot transforms into a kneeling position inside the parking lot. "Colonel. Ma'am." He tips his head to James and Jennifer in turn. "Hope I'm not interrupting anything, but I sure could use some practiced hands. See, the Olympics are coming up fast, and I want to win the ground race this year." He grins. With a series of gear shifts and smoothly sliding components, the Bugatti Veyron sportscar transforms into the Autobot Penumbra. The Britlander approaches the car. "Hey. Penumbra, isn't it? Nice paint job." She steps back slightly as he transforms. "Call me Jay. Folks do." Eighteen years old and starting to love it, she grins pleasantly. 'Hee, 'ma'm'...' she thinks to herself. 'If only he knew the truth of it!' That alien Maltese falcon has a lot to answer for. James Bailey is about to respond to Penumbra when he seems to register what Jennifer said. He repeats softly, "Help with the..." he suddenly shoots a glare back at Private Jeffries and Private Winston. "The fixings?" James walks around their EDC-logo'd car, and sees there a table and rack filled with automative goodies. Engine components made of advanced alloys to be lighter and stronger, sleek air circulation systems made to turn a small, seemingly decorative vents into a highly-efficient air intakes without sacrificing strength or styling. Tools used for delicate tuning several other functions. All of the parts are intended for hovertanks and high-speed recon vehicles. James turns a cold look back on the Privates (who until this evening were Corporals). "You raided the -EDC inventory- for this stuff? For -car modding- so you could engage in street racing?" He glowers at them for a bit, then seems to lighten up. "Well, obviously I can't let you guys use this stuff for personal use. So instead, I'm going to have you 'donate' it. To our friends and allies, the Autobots." He turns to Penumbra. "You want some practiced hands? I've got a couple of volunteers right here." Penumbra's optics widen and twinkle like the deep blue sea. "It must be my production day." He shifts slightly, leaning forward. "That's awfully generous of you. Are you sure you can part with the parts?" Before an answer can be given, Penumbra transforms back into his vehicle mode and a shimmer of reflected light magically ripples across his body. With a series of gear shifts and smoothly sliding components, Penumbra folds into himself to transform into his sleek Bugatti Veyron sportscar mode. Jennifer says, "You're saying it wrong, Mister Bailey - it's PIMPING. You can't forget how important style is on the urban road!" She frowns, looking at the pilfered parts, then at the cowBot, then back at the other teens. "Sorry, Slickpuppy, Ebony-Man. I can't bend the rules. Hey, if it's good for the Ed, it's good for our Auto-buddy... how about we trick him out the best we've got? Come on - Monacus Olympics? And we can say we did that when he wins! How about it?" Daniel Witwicky walks in and looks around, spotting Penumbra, James and Jennifer. He raises a hand "Heyah" James Bailey nods slowly at Jennifer, not sure if she said what he thinks she did. Then he nods more easily to Penumbra. "Yes, we're sure." James looks between the wannabe EDC-Mobile and Penumbra's car form. "Trust me, it's better that an Autobot to get the parts than these jokers." Winston and Jeffries, who had just started to look hopeful when Penumbra resisted the gift, now look crestfallen again. "You at least might put them to good use. Besides, Warthog tanks are being phased out in general." He gives Daniel a friendly wave as well. "Witwicky...we were just about to help Penumbra here with some tuning for his vehicle form. Wanna lend a hand?" He turns back to Penumbra. "Where do you want to start?" Daniel Witwicky looks over at the three and says "Absolutely!" He grabs a wrench. Not as mechanically apt as his dad, or especially his grandfather, but he can at least change a tire. Jennifer hips a hand in triumph. "You *know* it makes sense!" A familiar voice behind her makes her look over her shoulder as Daniel shows up. "Heya squirt..!" and she messes up his hair while he's busy messing with the wrench. Daniel Witwicky rolls his eyes and mutters. "I'm not a squirt..." Bugatti Veyron pulls into a proper open parking space near the gear and then pops open his hood. Revealing one of the most magnificent engines you will ever behold. Outward appearance ofcourse mimics earth technology. But ofcourse, under the surface, it it far more advanced. It doesn't run on carbon fuel, but energon. There's no toxic burn scent. EDC Warthog parts, thankfully, are more advanced than the automobile Penumbra appears to be and is not only compatible, but an addition the Autobot himself welcomes heartily. He's familiar with the advanced technology that the humans guard the Earth with. Oh yes. Obsolete model the Warthog may be becomming, but the parts can still do him wonders. "I say let's start with the basics. My valves could use a little opening. My intercooler could use a tune up too, it's been years. Then we'll see from there what we can do with those goodies you have." Daniel Witwicky eyes widen and he blushes a few shades of red. He gives a quick look at Jay and then turns to Penmumbra. "I could work on your intercooler." James Bailey peers at the exposed engine components and whistles in appreciation. "I've always wanted to work on one of these..." he leaves out whether he means a Bugatti, an Autobot, or something else entirely. "Okay Daniel, go for it. I'm sure Winston and Jeffries here can give you a hand if you need it," he shoots a look at the hapless (NPC) EDCers that says they can consider that an order. "Jennifer, right?" he asks politely. "Maybe you could look at his valves. I'll try to get some diagnostics set up." Trusting Daniel and Jennifer's skills, James himself pulls over a small cart with an EDC laptop. He wrenches a few cables and wires from where they were connected under the EDC-Mobile's hood, then carefully hooks them up to Penumbra's systems to monitor the performance of his engine. Daniel Witwicky starts to clean out Penumbra's inputs. Jennifer smoothes Dan-Dan's hair as impishly as she ruffled it, then chuckles at Daniel, mischievously. "Was it something I said..?" And a few seconds later, "Steady on, not in front of Penumbra!" Finally after enjoying good grin at the look she gets from a crimson Daniel, she nods to James and starts work on the valves. "Chee, Pen. You're so clean I could eat my dinner off of this engine. You'll put a girl like me out of a job, you will..." Bugatti Veyron emits, "That'd be swell, Daniel." A light activates, highlighting his intercooler area and another his valves area, giving illumination to the work areas. His internal stereo turns on and some appropriate music starts playing. *insert your favorite gearhead background music here* Meanwhile, his internals link up to the diagnostics and synch harmoniously. Daniel Witwicky nods and diligently begins to clean out some gunk. However, there's not much. "Man...you definitely take good care of your internals." He begins to nod off from the cornfield music emitting from Penumbra. Jennifer says, "See, now you know why I never get tired of hanging round Bots. Best vehicles *ever*!" James Bailey watches the work progressing, then he walks over to a rack of parts and selects a few of the lightweight engine components. He passes these out to Daniel and Jennifer. "Once you're ready, let's install some of these parts. They're still in the prototype stage --" he shoots another glare at the EDC privates, "-- but I figure putting them into an Autobot will make a great stress test." He pauses, then leans back to look around the raised hood into the driver's compartment. He's not sure if that's the best place to address a driverless Autobot, but it's a habit. "Uh, -final- stress test, that is. They've already gone through extensive testing, of course." Jennifer ditches her jacket, tossing it over a bench and starts poking around with the illuminated valves. "Oi, Dan-Dan..." She gives him a friendly nudge. "Earth to Wetwicketty..." The glow from the dashboard brightens up the inside of the car and Penumbra says, "Ooh, that tickles." Then to James, "Yes to stress. I will push it beyond any limit you could hope for. I wanna go fast I wanna go fast I wanna go fast. Heh-heh-heh. Now then, ah, those would be new pistons and cranks. Oh yeah. If we can get more rev, improve balance, and alter the compressionon the pistons, I'll get more power and better burn for my buck. Oh-oh-oh." He sounds delighted he has fallen into the right hands for this endeavor. Jennifer chuckles as she totes a wrench herself and locates the valves on the driver's side of the engine. She unplugs the vacuum hose by hand, then use the wrench to loosen the pipes on the bottom of the valves. "Hee, Pen, you sound itchy keen, all right. I didn't realise Monacus was such a big deal. Who are you hoping to beat this year..?" She fiddles around, and yes, sooner or later it comes down to gaskets. Finally she can take the first valve out, taking a plastic scraper to the valve to clean the muck out... Bugatti Veyron hmmms and you can hear the sly grin behind it. "Everybody... My first olympic race was on Nepsa. Straight up, I would have won, but the rules allow for full contact, a free for all fender bender race. This time, I wanna blow them all away and reach the finish it record time despite any potential setbacks. Some extra air to my engine and more efficient parts should make me the fastest thing on wheels." He doesn't mention hovercars. They don't count. ;) James Bailey grins slightly as Penumbra lists off the modifications he has in mind next. "I think we can take care of that...and maybe next time we can add some extra functionality. Hover systems for those times you've gotta go offroad, maybe...or magnetic shielding. We've been playing around with that tech, just a way to stiffen normal metal exterior panels without adding armor plating." He taps lightly on Penumbra's fender with a fingertip. "Bet that would come in handy the next time you're in a 'full contact' race." Jennifer arches a brow. "Mister Bailey... and I thought you were" she ahems politely "I thought you were strictly 'formalities' when it came to Transformer types..? I could swear you're having a good time, here..!" Bugatti Veyron chuckles, "Aw heck... I think the prospect of getting to take me out for a spin would get anybody grinning from ear to ear." Jennifer grins. "Don't think I don't know a thing or two about your side of the fence, big guy..." She cleans the valve in her hands, then leans into the engine to clear the inlet orifices with a wire brush. "You just like cruising along while your 'manual pilot does the driving." Several valves come out and each one gets cleaned, then refitted with new gaskets in place. James Bailey keeps handing new parts or tools to Jennifer when they're needed, while simultaneously trying to keep an eye on the diagnostics informaiton flowing to the EDC laptop he connected earlier. "It's hard to say for sure, but I think we're on the right track - even with your engine idling, I'm showing a 15% increase in power output." Jay puffs hard to clear muck, then starts to reassemble the valves, gaskets, hose and pipes. Fitting or refitting cranks and pistons comes as no great task for her - although some of the parts are quite heavy. "Phew... maybe I *will* be glad when you gain a few inches, Danno..." she admits. "The muscles will come in handy. I certainly don't need to lose any more pounds..!" With the valves and the intercooler taken care of by the dynamic rejuevenated pair of humans under his hood, Penumbra gives his engine a test rev for diagnostics sake as well as just loving to hear how much better his engine is sounding. "Oh yeaaaaaaah. Don't hold back now." James Bailey watches the work now, more out of genuine interest than to oversee things. After a few minutes, he comments to Penumbra, "Looks like just a few more parts to go." Bugatti Veyron 's internals make minute adjustments, conforming with each replacement part as needed. Yes, this is a living machine. And this upgrade is all part of the 'training' regimen. Self improvement. "I can't wait to go.... ah but patience." He then considers, "The salt flats... Bonneville. Only two states east. Hmm, perhaps I should have a third key installed." Is he even talking to someone? As the modifications come to an end, the Autobot's internal lighting grows brighter. James Bailey steps back, checking the diagnostic display on the laptop one last time before disconnecting the cables and pulling it away from Penumbra. "Looks like you're good to go. Of course, no modification is complete without--" right on cue, the sound of cars skidding around a curve somewhere a few levels up echoes through the parking garage. "--some field testing." Bugatti Veyron drops his hood and pops open his doors. "I know you military types like g-force. But if you feel weak in the stomach, my windows roll down fast." ~vrrrroooooooommmmm~ James Bailey takes a look at the other humans, then quickly slides into the driver's seat before anyone else can. James Bailey waits impatiently for the other humans to get in so that Penumbra can test out the modifications they worked so hard at. Well, James didn't do as much work, but they had it under control. While he's waiting he picks up an alert on the top-secret NEST channel via the EDC earpiece he always has on. Daniel Witwicky hops in the passenger's side. Bugatti Veyron slides his seatbelts into place over his passengers, and when JAmes puts him into gear and pulls out, the Bugatti peels out to meet the sound of challenge in the distance like being shot out of a cannon. Thank goodness his posh seats are comfortable. Daniel Witwicky smirks and leans back. He eyes the stereo and makes a slight, instinctive mode toward the stereo. He makes an eye at James to see if he'll mind. James Bailey gestures at Daniel with a 'after you' motion. All the while fighting the g-forces to make the motion look casual. He seems to be muttering something under his breath - no doubt using subvocal microphones to send a few nasty NEST messages. But when he speaks out loud, he sounds calm and collected. "Looks like...those upgrades are taking...Penumbra." Daniel Witwicky puts on something fairly rocking, but mellow enough to be relatively low key. Bugatti Veyron 's internal console flashes a few cheery colours. "It's amazing what one can do if they're just allowed to breathe... I am refreshed and exhilerated." The car handles like a dream, it should with smart-balance. Oh and the coolness just keeps rising as the tunes permeate the passengers. Daniel Witwicky rolls down the windows. He gestures - "If we take this out a bit further, I'm sure we can hit some great curves." Bugatti Veyron accellerates where James might not, enjoying himself tremendously. So much more pickup now. A panel flips open in the dashboard, displaying a map of the area, and a 3 dimensional route projection next to it. If scrolls further ahead and displays several routes to choose from. When you're exceeding 300 mph and rising, you need to plan ahead. Daniel Witwicky peers outside and *whews* "Man, I can barely hear the engine!" James Bailey watches in obvious fascination. He's picking up some great pointers for moving at reckless speeds through enclosed spaces. Most of the Exo-Suits that James pilots have sophisticated sensors that might be able to duplicate the route projection trick. But James' expression darkens slightly at continued communications over his EDC comm unit. Finally, he sighs, reaches an arm out of the opened window to tap on the side of Penumbra's driver side door. "I'm afraid you'll have to let me off here!" he shouts. "I've got to head back to Alameda! We might have a situation!" Daniel Witwicky gulps and says "I'll be heading back as well - I want to check this out." Bugatti Veyron awwwwws and then says, "Alright alright..." He decellerates and then eventually fishtails into a parking spot. "Duty, gentlement. Good luck, and thank you." James Bailey climbs out, stumbles just a bit before catching himself (and regaining his balance), then heads for his bike. "Any time, Penumbra. And think about what I said - magnetic reinforcement!" He quickly climbs on and guns the engine. Locking his front wheel, he spins the rear tire in an arc across the parking garage floor until he's facing the exit, then releases the brake and rockets out.